Become a Fan

October 12, 2009

Taylor's Refresher - One of Napaman’s Top 100 Napa Valley Attractions

Think inside the bun!

That’s what Taylor’s Refresher, in St. Helena, makes you
do – think about what you are going to put in that airy, egg-y bun.

Is it going to be a juicy grilled hamburger, the one that
wine–writer Robert Parker called one of the best in America, or is it going to
be that memorable ahi tuna sandwich, napped with the house’s famous secret
sauce.

“House” is a bit of a misnomer because “house” suggests
you are “inside” a building. At Taylor’s original location, in St. Helena, you
can only eat outside, because that’s where all the picnic tables are, though a
few are covered.

We send all our visiting friends and relatives to Taylor’s
for at least one lunch and I admonish them NOT to return to our home if they
fail to order one of Taylor’s outstanding milkshakes, large enough, by the way,
for two to share.

My favorite milkshake has always been “espresso bean,” but
many friends return to our home, raving about the chocolate, chocolate mint, or
vanilla versions. I guess, at heart, everyone’s a milkshake maven.

Taylor’s Refresher has been dishing out grilled burgers
since it opened in 1949, but it only went from a modest local hangout to a
seriously popular tourist attraction and mini-chain after the Gott family
bought the business about ten years ago.

There are now satellite stalls in Napa town and in the
Ferry Building, in San Francisco. But be forewarned: the line-ups at these
locations aren’t any shorter – so don’t think of them as shortcuts to hamburger
heaven.

Taylor’s Refresher, 933 Main St. St. Helena, CA, 94574.
Open seven days a week.Tel:
707-963-3486 or check out www.taylorsrefresher.com
for information on the Napa town and San Francisco locations.

Local Color, a regular feature of napaman.com, is
illustrated by Lisa Livoni, one of Napa Valley’s most talented watercolorists.

For reprint permission,
or to obtain copies of this, or any other Local Color image, please contact napaman@me.com.